The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance comprising a cavity in which an ozone generator is placed.
Interest in ozone has expanded in recent years in response to consumer demands for ‘greener’ food additives, regulatory approval and the increasing acceptance that ozone is an environmentally friendly technology. The multi functionality of ozone makes it a promising food processing agent. Excess ozone auto decomposes rapidly to produce oxygen and thus leaves no residues in foods from its decomposition. In particular, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s rulings on ozone usage in food have resulted in increased interest in potential food applications worldwide.
The effectiveness of ozone against microorganisms present in food systems depends on several factors including the amount of ozone applied, the residual ozone in the medium and various environmental factors such as medium pH, temperature, relative humidity, additives and the amount of organic matter surrounding the cells.
The use of ozone in the processing of foods has recently come to forefront, as a result of the approval by the FDA to use ozone as an antimicrobial agent for food treatment, storage, and processing.
Generally ozone is used in water treatment, sanitizing, washing and disinfection of equipment, odor removal, and fruit, vegetable, meat and seafood processing as an antioxidant.
Existing solutions on the market present the ozone device applied on the whole cavity of the refrigerator to improve air quality by odor removal and reduced microbial growth.
The main outcomes of such known solutions are related to the control and removal of ethylene for ripening fruits through the use of ozone, sterilization, implementation design, device components, and ozone device structure.
JP 06-153789 discloses a method for removing ethylene in a storehouse in which ozone is used for ethylene decomposition.
JP 2010-054092 shows a refrigerator with an ozone generating device arranged in a vegetable compartment. This document is silent about affective ozone concentration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigeration appliance with a device able to remove or reduce the residues of pesticides and microorganisms present on the surfaces of food items during storage by the ozone emission and in the meanwhile maintain their natural quality (color, ripening, freshness, and nutritional aspects) thanks to a new specific duty cycle treatment able to manage the ozone generation to allow food treatment without impacting food sensorial and nutritional quality. By using a certain ozone concentration the applicant has discovered surprising results in the maintenance of high levels of vitamin contents, particularly vitamin C content, for long storage periods in the cavity of the refrigerator.
The solution according to the invention is preferably integrated into a dedicated compartment for fresh fruits and vegetables (without packaging) in the refrigerator.
There are other additional benefits in using a certain ozone concentration, and they are related to keep food quality by microbial reduction; improve air quality by odor removal/reduce cross contamination and delay the ripening process by ethylene oxidation, while minimizing the oxidative process causing food deterioration.